Hand-grenade



A. G. BERGMAN.

HAND GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1911.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

R O T s N W E n V r m m 4 4 mm 4% WITNESSES:

AXEL G. BERG-MAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO O RDNANGE ENGINEEMNG- CORPOTION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COBPOTION OF NEW JERSEY.

HAND-GRENADE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AXEL G. BERGMAN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand- Grenades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hand grenades and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

Hand grenades as heretofore constructed have usually operated either by a time fuse or upon impact. Both constructions have been open to various disadvantages, such as uncertainty of firing, excessive danger in use, complication of structure, etc.

The object of the present invention is to provide a grenade 1n which these disadvantages are avoided. To this end I have provided a grenade, the firing element of which operates through the inertia of a fiy wheel or its equivalent. In the preferred construction such a wheel is mounted with in the grenade body and is held fixedly with relation to the body until the grenade is thrown. In the act of throwing, a circular or turning movement is imparted to the grenade body, including the fly wheel, and as soon as the grenade leaves the hand the safety device is displaced, with the result that the fly wheel and body rotate substantially at the same rates of speed, until the grenade reaches'the ground or some other point ofrest, whereupon the fly wheel continues its rotation, with the .efiect that the firing means is operated. The invention includes other features of improvement which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one form of the invention,

Figure 1 is a sectional view on the line 1-1, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate the casing of the grenade, which is shown as divided into two explosive compartments B, C, and amiddle compartment D which is designed to contain the fly wheel or inertia wheel E. The latter is mounted upon an axle F which preferably extends through all three compartments, as shown. Preferably, the axle is screw-threaded at each end and serves to umte all of the parts of the constituting a frictional catch or holding device which imposes a frictional resistance upon the rotation of the fly wheel, this frictional resistance being variable byv proportioning the strength of the spring, or in any other suitable manner.

I have shown the fly wheel as provided with a recess M which is adapted to normally receive a safety pin 0, the latter being provided with a spring P which upon restraint would eject the pin from the slot and from the body or casing. Normally, the pm is held in safety position by a safety device such as the cotter pin Q, best shown in Fig. 2, which passes through lugs R and S formed in the top of the casing. The lugs R and S are preferably formed to constitute a notch or finger-hold T on one side of the device, and preferably with a smooth wall U on the opposite side.

The body portion may be provided with one or more bores V and W through which are adapted to be inserted frictional firin devices such as X X having portions extcn ing downwardly into the casing so as to be struck or rubbed by a frictional surface Y which mayadvantageously be mounted upon a spring mounting such as Z. The spring mounting may consist of a springy material such as sponge rubber or any other suitable material. It is preferable that the firing devices X shall be so constituted that they will not ignite by friction unless accompanied by a chemical reaction such, for instance, as is present in the ordinary. safety match and its striking surface. I have shown two detonators a and b, which are inserted in the casing through proper apertures, and which are connected with the space near the firing devices by powder trains-or plugs c and d.

In operation the grenade is grasped with one of the fingers, such as the forefinger, in the recess T, whereupon the safety cotter pin Q, is withdrawn, the finger holding the safety pin against the tension of its spring P in the recess M. The grenade is then thrown, and during the act of throwing it is given a sharp turn or twist so that the grenade rotatesmore or less rapidly in its fli ht through the air. There is no particular s ll required in this,-since it is very diflicult to throw the grenade without twistin it, so that the natural motion imparted to t e grenade is availed of. Before the safety pin 0 has left its recess and unlocked the wheel, the twisting motion is imparted to the wheel, so that the grenade flies through the air with I the casing and wheel both rotating, but without relative movement. If there is any tendency to relative movement it is checked by the friction spring J. As soon as the grenade reaches its mark, however, and the rotation of the casin is checked, the inertla of the wheel is s cient to overcome the frictional resistance of the sprin and the wheel then rotates relatively to t e casing. This relative rotation brings the striking surface Y into contact with the firing devices X, igniting the same, the flames then igniting the powder plugs 0, (Z, and in turn the detonators, whereupon the explosive is fired.

It is referable that the inertia wheel E rotate with as little friction as possible and any anti-friction device may be used to promote this. In the construction I have shown a brass bushing e for the wheel which has small contact surfaces 7 bearing on the axle or shaft F, and also small contact surfaces 9 which bear against the plates It, a which constitute the separating walls between the several compartments of the eas- It will be observed that accidental explosion is practically prevented, not only on account of the safety pin 0 and connected mechanism, but also on account of the fact that to fire the device a distinct relative rotative movement between the fly wheel and the casing is necessary, which movement is practically impossible to occur in, falling or dropping, or in any other way than by direct and intentional throwing. It will also be observed that there is no complicated or delicate mechanism involved which is expensive to construct or liable to et out of order. Furthermore, there is no weight which is to be dislodged b impact, and no finely poised firing parts. t Wlll also .be observed that since the device does not operate b .impac but merely by stoppage of the rotation of the casing, the degree of shock whichit receives is immaterial. Thus, the device will ex plode when it falls in mud or water, or other medium too soft to o erate an impact firing device. Moreover, t e device is extremely cheap and simple to construct, and has no complicated parts or delicate mechanism.

While I have described the device with relation to a hand grenade, it will be underof the grenade, an

stood that it may be used in connection with other projectiles. While I have shown and described the inertia member as a wheel, it will be understood that by this term I mean to include other inertia devices which operate around a substantially fixed axis.

It will be understood that I have shown one form of the device merely as an illustration, and that the construction may be widely varied without departing from the invention.

What I claim is:

- 1. A hand grenade having a firing mechanism comprising an inertia wheel which is free to turn at any point in the flight of the grenade, and is brought into operation upon lmpact of the latter.

2. A hand grenade having a firing mechanism including an inertia wheel which is free to turn at an point during the flight is brought into operatlon upon lmpact of the latter, and means for retarding rotation of said wheel.

3. A hand anism including an inertia wheel which is free to rotate at any oint in the flight of the grenade, and 1s tion upon impact of the latter, and a manually-controlled safety device which is released instantly as thegrenade is thrown.

4. A hand enade having a firing mechanism including an inertia wheel which is free to rotate at any int during the flight-of the grenade, and is brought into operation upon impact of the latter, and a manually-controlled safety in which normally engages the inertia w eel and is released instantly upon throwing-the grenade.

' 5. A hand grenade consisting of a body, and having a firing an inertia wheel WhlCh is free to turn at any point in the flight of the grenade, a frictional device and an igniting device, one carried by said body and the other by said inertia wheel, and coming into frictional contact with each other when said inertia wheel rotates upon impact of the enade.

6. A hand grenade comprising a body, and having a firing mechanism inclu an in,- ertia wheel WhlCh is free to rotate at any point in the flight of the grenade, a frictional device carned by the inertia wheel, and an igniting device carried by the body, ada ted to be rought into contact with the ictional device upon rotation of said inertia wheel.

7. A hand grenade or the like comprising a casing, an inertia wheel therein, a safety pm engaging the periphery of said inertia wheel, said safety pin bein adapted to be dislodged on throwmg, a 100 for said safet pin, and an igniting device ignited by said wheel.

8. A hand grenade or the like comprising grenade having a firing mech- I rought into operaa casing conslsting of separate parts, an inertia wheel with ignitin means, and a shaft for said wheel, sald sha holding the parts of the casing together.

9. A hand grenade having a firing device including an mertia wheel which is free to rotate at any point in the flight of the grenade, and frictional means acting to retard rotation of the inertia wheel and prevent its operating except upon impact of the gre- 0 nade,

10. A hand grenade or the like'having a firing device comprising an inertia wheel, and a spring frictlonal device for retarding the wheel.

11. A hand grenade or the like comprising 15 In witness whereof I have hereunto signed 20 my name.

AXEL G. BERGMAN, 

